Glossary/Audience data/Customer data platform (CDP)
What is a CDP (customer data platform)?
What a CDP does, how it compares to a DMP, and what publishers need from one.
Written by Samhub with the help of AI·Updated 13 Oct 2026·3 min readA customer data platform (CDP) collects data from many sources and unifies it into one lasting profile per person, which other tools can then use.
What a CDP does
Collects
Web, app, subscription and CRM data.
Unifies
One profile per person across devices.
Segments
Audiences built from the profiles.
Activates
Sends audiences to email, ads and paywall.
CDP vs DMP
| CDP | DMP | |
|---|---|---|
| Data | Known and anonymous, personal | Mostly anonymous |
| Lifespan | Long-lasting profiles | Short-lived cookie data |
| Main use | Marketing and customer journeys | Ad targeting |
16 pages for publishers, with a checklist for data, programmatic and direct sales.
What publishers need
Publishers need both sides: known readers for subscriptions and audiences for advertising. A data layer built for media handles both, without stitching a CDP and a DMP together.
Addressability at Stampen Media after moving its reader data into one layer with Samhub.
Frequently asked questions
They need what a CDP does: one profile per reader. Many general CDPs lack advertising features.
It can be, with a legal basis, consent and EU data storage.
A CDP built on top of your own data warehouse.
It varies a lot. Fewer integrations make it faster.
Related terms
Collects and segments audience data for advertising.
Data you collect directly from your own readers.
Matching records to the same person.
Putting data to work in the tools that use it.
One EU-based platform to collect, unify and enrich your first-party data, installed with one script.
- A walkthrough with your own data
- Built for publishers and media houses
- 30 minutes, no commitment
Turn your audience data into more revenue
Get the Media Monetization Playbook: how media houses turn first-party data into higher CPMs, data deals and direct sales. With checklists for every step.
